In this Genshin Impact elements guide, we provide you with details on the elements, let you know which ones react together to form powerful attacks, and touch on the status effects brought on by elements resonating with one another. For example, some effects increase damage output, while others provide you with a shield, upping your defense.
Since you’re here, we assume you’re a fan of Hoyoverse’s open-world RPG. In which case, we have many character guides for you to check out, including characters such as Genshin Impact’s Kaeya, Genshin Impact’s Diona, Genshin Impact’s Xingqiu, and Genshin Impact’s Wanderer. We also have a Genshin Impact tier list, ranking all of the current heroes. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our Genshin Impact codes guide for some extra primogems.
What are Genshin Impact elements?
All playable characters can use one of the elements. These unique powers come from the Archons themselves, who bestow their gifts and elemental powers on other beings. Elements are crucial to success in Genshin Impact – learning how to use them could be what saves you, young traveler.
How many Genshin Impact elements are there?
There are seven Genshin Impact elements. Pyro, hydro, dendro, electro, anemo, cryo, and geo. Each one – except for anemo and geo – has its own status effect. For the most part, these don’t cause much harm, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t worth inflicting.
| Element name | Status effect |
| Pyro | The pyro status – it doesn’t have much of an effect on its own. However, most sources of the pyro status also cause the fire status, which inflicts burn damage on enemies over time |
| Hydro | The wet status – this has no effect on enemies or players. However, it does make you vulnerable to nearby enemies that use the electro element, though it also makes your foes susceptible to electro effects too |
| Anemo | One of two elements not to have a status effect |
| Electro | The electro status – this halts attacks and character movement for a short time |
| Dendro | The dendro status – this doesn’t have any particular effects, rather it’s just the application of the dendro element |
| Cryo | The cryo status – being hit with cryo slows down both your movement and attack speed |
| Geo | One of two elements not to have a status effect |
What are Genshin Impact elemental reactions?
Elemental reactions are effects, and moves, that occur when two different elements collide. All seven elements can be part of a combo to unleash hell on opponents, with some causing more damage than others. However, pyro is the only one that mixes with every other element. Given how powerful these reactions are, it’s worth giving it some thought when choosing your travel companions.
Pyro elemental reactions
| Elemental combination | Attack name | Description |
| Pyro and hydro | Vaporise | Should pyro be the trigger of this reaction, the attack will cause 1.5 times more pyro damage |
| Pyro and dendro | Burning | This attack deals damage over time, the AoE increases should the area have the dendro effect. Grass, for example, spreads flame |
| Pyro and electro | Overloaded | There’s an explosion that causes both a heavy attack and AoE fire damage |
| Pyro and cryo | Melt | As long as the pyro element triggers the reaction, there will be a two times increase to pyro damage from the attack |
Hydro elemental reactions
| Elemental combination | Attack name | Description |
| Hydro and pyro | Vaporise | Should hydro be the trigger of this reaction, the attack will cause two times more hydro damage |
| Hydro and electro | Electro-charged | A bolt of lightning jumps between enemies suffering from the wet status, causing damage. Moreover, the move deals electro damage over a period of time, too |
| Hydro and cryo | Frozen | The opponent becomes frozen in place, leaving them vulnerable to physical damage should you shatter them |
Anemo elemental reactions
| Elemental combination | Attack name | Description |
| All anemo reactions | Swirl | After infusing with an element, it spreads the effect, causing elemental damage. This varies depending on which element anemo combines with |
Electro elemental reactions
| Elemental combination | Attack name | Description |
| Electro and pyro | Overloaded | There’s an explosion that causes both heavy attack and AoE fire damage |
| Electro and hydro | Electro-charged | A bolt of lightning jumps between enemies suffering from the wet status, causing damage. Moreover, the move deals electro damage over a period of time, too |
| Electro and cryo | Superconduct | This move reduces the opponent’s physical resistance. It also deals AoE cryo damage |
Dendro elemental reactions
| Elemental combination | Attack name | Description |
| Dendro and pyro | Burning | This attack deals damage over time, The AoE increases should the area have the dendro effect. Grass, for example, spreads flames |
| Dendro and electro | Quicken | When quickened, electro attacks activate ‘aggravate’ and deal more damage. Further dendro attacks to a quickened enemy activate ‘spread’, which increases dendro damage to the enemy |
| Dendro and hydro | Bloom | Bloom causes dendro cores to spawn off the enemy. When you hit a dendro core with pyro, it triggers ‘burgeon’, which deals AoE dendro damage. When you hit dendro cores with electro, ‘hyperbloom’ is triggered and the cores become ‘sprawling shots’. Cores left on the ground explode and deal AoE dendro damage |
Cryo elemental reactions
| Elemental combination | Attack name | Description |
| Cryo and pyro | Melt | If cryo triggers the reaction, 1.5 times more cryo damage is dealt |
| Cryo and hydro | Frozen | The enemy becomes frozen in place, leaving them vulnerable to physical damage should you shatter them |
| Cryo and electro | Superconduct | Reduces the opponent’s physical resistance, this move also deals AoE cryo damage |
Geo elemental reactions
| Elemental combination | Attack name | Description |
| All geo reactions | Crystalise | Geo reacts with one of the other elements, dropping a crystal of that elemental type, providing you with a shield. It protects against all damage, but is extra effective against the element that aids in its creation. |
What is Genshin Impact elemental resonance?
When in a party, there’s always a range of elements. As such, elemental resonance tends to occur, especially if two of you happen to have the same gifts. When elemental resonance occurs, a special effect becomes available. Again, there’s a range available, all of which have varying benefits. However, it’s important to remember that your party must be full for elemental resonance to work.
| Elemental combination | Effect name | Description |
| Pyro and pyro | Fervent flames | Attack rises by 25%, while the duration of the cryo status effect takes a 40% reduction. |
| Hydro and hydro | Soothing water | Incoming healing increases by 30%, while the length of the pyro status effect decreases by 40%. |
| Electro and electro | High voltage | The chance of superconduct, overload, and electro-charged creating electro elemental particles increases by 100%. Meanwhile, the duration of the hydro status effect drops by 40%. |
| Cryo and cryo | Shattering ice | Your crit rate increases by 15% against enemies that are frozen, or under the cryo effect. Moreover, the duration of the electro status effects takes a 40% deduction. |
| Anemo and anemo | Impetuous winds | Movement speed increases by 15%, and stamina consumption decreases by 15%. |
| Geo and geo | Enduring rock | Shields and damage increase by 15%, though geo resistance drops upon dealing damage to enemies. |
| Dendro and dendro | Sprawling Greenery | Increases team elemental mastery by 50. After triggering burning, quicken, or bloom, all nearby party members gain an additional 30 elemental mastery for six seconds. After triggering aggravate, spread, hyperbloom, or burgeon, all nearby party members gain an additional 20 elemental mastery for six seconds. The duration of these buffs is counted independently |
| Four different elements | Protective canopy | Physical resistance and elemental resistance increase by 15%. |
And that‘s everything you need to know about the Genshin Impact elements. Hop over to our Genshin Impact update and Genshin Impact next banner guides to find out what’s going on in Teyvat. Be sure to go and check out our picks for the best Switch RPGs to find your next adventure.
